Psychiatric disorders among residents in skilled nursing facilities present challenges to professional staff, most of whom are not trained to work with mental health issues. The proposed project will develop an interactive program designed to provide knowledge and skills for Nurse Aides providing care for these residents. The interactive multimedia format is particularly well-suited for staff training of this type because it has been shown to be effective (Irvine, Bourgeois, &Ary, 2003;Irvine, Bourgeois, Billow, &Seeley, in press), and it is not staff-intensive to implement. Skill-based modules, designed to accommodate users regardless of reading ability, will consist of self-paced interactive tutorials built around realistic video modeling vignettes. The competency-based instructional design will allow users to advance at their own pace when the material is understood. Program modules will: a) improve knowledge about mental health and symptoms of specific disorders, while dispelling myths and stereotypes;b) provide basic communication skills and appropriate response strategies with agitated or disoriented residents;c) provide advanced skills including team based approaches;d) offer techniques for staff self-care;e) provide an interactive information center on mental illness;and f) provide a separate module for administrators demonstrating the cost effectiveness and organizational underpinnings for a facility-wide philosophy of person centered care. Summary printouts of program content for users and documentation of training progress for supervisors will be supplied. The Phase I research developed internet and CD-ROM training programs providing content on myths and facts about mental illness, facts about specific categories of disorders, and basic communication skills for working with residents showing symptoms of psychiatric disorders. The program was evaluated on the Internet by professional care giving staff in a randomized trial. The Phase II product will be developed in Internet, CD- ROM, and DVD-ROM formats with a workbook available to facilitate both individual and group usage. It will be evaluated with a large randomized trial (n=300). PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Professional caregivers in skilled nursing facilities regularly come in contact with residents showing the symptoms of mental illness. The proposed program will give caregiving staff basic knowledge about mental disorders, and the skills to recognize early symptoms and appropriately respond in ways that decrease the symptomatology and help the resident return to usual activities.